The Egyptian Coptic Language
Ezz Al-Turkey
Not only is the ancient Egyptian language one of the first human languages known to exist, but it has surpassed other languages over its longer historical record. Its use as a spoken language declined in the Middle Ages as Arabic took its place, although it is still used in the Coptic Church's liturgy. Directly derived from the language of the pharaohs, Coptic is the latest evolution of the ancient Egyptian language. Originally written in hieroglyphs, the script also existed in hieratic, a cursive form, and later on, demotic, a distinct form. Greeks were introduced to the area by Alexander the Great, who ruled over much of it in the fourth century BCE. It's interesting to note that very few Upper Egyptian households speak Coptic daily. There is currently an intermittent, noticeable, interest in studying the language in the Coptic community.
Greek influence was felt across Egypt, not the least of which was in the local tongue. Actually, the term "Egyptos" from ancient Greek is where we get the modern English word "Copt" and the Arabic word "Qibt." However, the Hellenism of Coptic was solidified by the introduction of Christianity to the region, which also contributed a significant quantity of Greek terminology to the spoken and written languages. The contemporary form of the language was also influenced by Christianity: the Greek alphabet was modified to write Coptic, adding seven additional letters to represent consonants not found in Greek. The ancient Egyptians referred to their nation as Kemet, which translates to "the Black Land." It is likely that the Arabic name "Masr" comes from the phrase "Masi-Ra" (Macira), which translates to "The Children of the Sun."
Numerous discrete dialects of Coptic are recognized, including Sahidic, Akhmimic, Bashmuric, Bohairic, Fayyumic, and numerous additional subdialects; nevertheless, Sahidic and Bohairic are the most widely recognized.
The Bohairic dialect has been acknowledged as the primary official dialect of the Copts in Egypt since the eleventh century. Throughout its lengthy history, the language has undoubtedly undergone certain modifications and evolutions, but overall it has stayed mostly the same. It is analogous to the distinction between English in Shakespeare's day and English now, for instance. Despite the changes that have taken place, English remains the same language.
With the arrival of Islam in 641 AD, this rich history of apostles and saints started to shift, as did the definition and use of the term "Coptic." Although the word "Copt" originally just meant "Egyptian," its meaning changed after the Arab-Islamic invasion to solely refer to Egyptians who chose not to convert to Islam. For this reason, the term is still commonly used to refer to Egyptian Christians today. But even this isn't a cut-and-dry category.
These days, there are still some Coptic-speaking families in Egypt, Europe, and Australia. It has been passed down through the ages as a cultural treasure. Additionally, the Coptic language is taught in several schools in Egypt, Europe, Australia, and North America. Many Copts hope that one day they will be able to speak Coptic regularly again.